


wake me up (when it's all over)

by diannaprince



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, F/F, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 09:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20171878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diannaprince/pseuds/diannaprince
Summary: your life will be good. and beautiful. but not without heartbreak. in death comes peace, but pain is the cost of living. like love, it's how we know we're alive. i'll always be watching, just remember to wake me up when it's all over.or, penelope finally meets the parents





	wake me up (when it's all over)

**Author's Note:**

> i forgot my muse when i first started this and then found a new one half way finishing it and then rediscovered the first one so just think back with me to the 1x06 scene (you know the One) and cry bc all the songs they choose always hit so good and enjoy

The ground is wet and everything is cold. Her body feels like mud, sinking deeper and deeper in a pit. Something is weighing her down, something is anchoring her. And then nothing. There’s this lightness in her chest, she feels like floating away. And with that thought Penelope opens her eyes.

The night sky is completely void of light. There are no stars. No moon. It is devoid of that faint glow of light and Penelope can feel the panic creeping in. Looking around, she realizes she’s somewhere deep in the forest, maybe past the old mill. Or even further. It is silent save for the sound of her breathing.

Penelope stands up and dusts herself off, reminded of the slugs and whatever else creatures came from the forest just behind the Salvatore school. She looks around, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness, and tries to make out where she is other than forest. With a wave of her fingers, Penelope summons a ball of fire. The heat around her hand is comforting in the cold, cold night and with no idea where she is, she looks around and decides to venture onwards.

It feels like she’s been walking for forever. Her legs ache and her head spins as the forest begins to thin out but still, she is surrounded in darkness and there is nothing for her to find and that panic begins to slowly swallow her whole. Penelope tries to remember where she came from, what happened before this, but nothing comes to her mind willingly. A chill runs down her spine when she recognizes the clearing.

Penelope holds back a hysterical laugh, holds back the flood of tears and the flashes of old memories running through her mind in favor of running into the open space. In the distance, she can see an old house. White and wide, built large enough for a coven. Penelope stands, speechless and reeling, from the sight of her own childhood home. But in the blink of an eye, the house is burning and the sky lights up. Bathed under a blood red moon, she runs towards the house, screaming for a family she no longer has.

She’s up the steps and onto the porch and before she can even open the door, it flings open and her dad stands, fuming with anger and covered in smoke. He walks right through her and she flinches at the sound of her name. “Penelope!” Moving past him, she ventures into the house, ignoring the smoke and the flames licking at her feet and she suddenly finds herself in her room, from years ago.

.

_Penelope should’ve known better than to trust her family. To willingly go back to her coven after so long, left in the dark for all those years. The sins of her family are something she’s had a few years to move on from. Josie had helped with that. But being thrown back to them, trapped in that house and hunted down like a piece of meat. _

_The icy jolt of betrayal that races through her at the sound of her father's angry curses and taunts does nothing to soothe her panic as she holds on tight to her siblings. The only sobering thought she has is that her older brother will be home soon. Will overpower their father’s twisted rage. Siphon his magic and leave him on his knees to once again suffer an agony that will be forgotten with another drunken rage._

_Something about this time makes it different. Penelope swallows that guilt rising and ushers her younger siblings into another room, dark and covered from the light of the eclipse. “Under the bed, now.” They comply and with them safely away from view, she mutters a spell to cover her tracks._

_“Invisique.”_

_Running around the room, she mindlessly blockades the door with her magic before throwing open the nearby drawers and ruffling through its contents, looking for the tome and locket. She ignores the cries downstairs as painful as it is to hear, her mother and her grandmother screaming in terror, in favor of bringing out the heavy tome. Penelope hurries in opening the pages, flipping through for the familiar worn and tear stained page. _

_“Merabas Hic Libatal, Confremun Signas. Omus Quisa Tentum Exalis,”_

_Before she can finish reciting the spell, there’s pounding footsteps ascending and in a panic, she slides the book under the bed. The magic around her hangs in the air and Penelope channels it into her, bracing herself as the door breaks open and her father stands, his hand outstretched with a hex on his lips._

_Penelope feels herself being flung back, her body arches as she breaks through a nearby dresser, splinters of wood flying everywhere at the force of her impact. The wall is solid, the only thing holding her up once the magic leaves her, and all she can do is watch as her father sets fire to her world. She feels that familiar grip of her father’s magic tighten around her throat and with another gasp, her world is spinning. Glass shatters around her and everything seems to slow down. She can see the spark that starts it all, she can hear the twin screams of her siblings, the chanting of her mother and grandmother, and the desperate sobs as her older brother comes home. _

_._

Penelope has never travelled between dimensions. She’s read spells before, from her coven’s library and from the Salvatore library (and even Dr. Saltzman's secret spell books), but she’s never cast one and she’s never had that pleasure to travel before. They all say that it doesn’t hurt. That it never does, especially with being a witch. These are things that magic users are immune to, the side effects after all are intended to ward off other kind. There is the inevitability of a disorienting and uncomfortable journey. But there is no mention of pain and or agony.

The fire that runs through her is a pain of its own kind. Penelope knows of no way to describe this type of burning and the screams that are torn from her throat are primal. Her hands fly to clutch her head, overwhelmed by the surge of magic racing through her veins like an electric shock. But nothing soothes it and all Penelope feels is like she’s being torn to pieces.

The world is blurred and hazy—like an image out of focus—switching from flashes of a burning home to bright light in the darkness of a forest. With a sinking feeling, Penelope realizes this is the part where her world ends. Burning to ashes over and over again. And a part of her wishes Josie were with her. She can hear a spell chanted far away but so close.

A travelling spell. If she could choose where to go, she’d be far far away from Salem. Somewhere peaceful, no warring covens or supernatural factions. She should be disappointed that the first person in mind, to share that peace with, is Josie. But something warms in her chest, tugs insistently at her heart, and she welcomes that warm feeling.

With a gasp, Penelope’s world narrows to her magic—her nerves are on fire and her body is weakening—and her eyes fly open in desperation that what she has left is enough. Enough for Josie, for the people she could not save, and with it, the last thing she hears is her father’s angry voice, spilling hexes and curses. And when she blinks open her eyes, she’s met with a familiar pouting face.

“Jo,”

* * *

Penelope lifts her head from the dirt and brushes debris from her hair. The sun is shining innocently through the trees and the smell of sunflowers is in the air. She’s in _their _favorite place. The school gardens are far enough away from the school that she can bask in the quiet and the stillness of it all. But the sound of laughter and happiness echo from the school quad, blown in by the breeze. It is music to her ears.

That warm feeling from before is all she can feel, is all her mind can wrap around, and through that Penelope can hear Josie. The first time she brought her here, her hands covering her eyes and the giggle of surprise at the sight of spring in full bloom around. Penelope can see it all play out in front of her and a part of her wonders if this is heaven.

“I’m sorry.”

Penelope turns around a fireball already in her hand at the voice. She’s met with the face of a woman that looks so familiar—dark hair, light eyes, and a pouty face—and her blood runs cold.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that again,” The woman says again. Penelope relaxes and extinguishes the flame, numbed by the pity and still reeling in shock. The woman gives her a grateful smile and all Penelope wants to do is sob. She extends her hand and Penelope takes it, not knowing what else to do.

“My name is Josette Laughlin. You must be Penelope Park.”

.

“Am I dead?” They’ve moved from the gardens and instead they’re at the school entrance. Out in the quad, the younger years are playing a game of tag. If they could see Penelope now, she knows they’d run to her, tug at her hand, and beg her to play. She’d playfully glare at them, they’d keep tugging, and then she’d give in to the chase and growl at them playing the big bad wolf. But no one seems to see her and that thought sends her mind spiraling. Penelope can feel the panic threatening to consume her, but that warmth—one she recognizes as Josie’s—is the only thing keeping that dam from breaking.

“That’s quite a complicated question,” Josette—Jo—answers, piercing through her spiraling thoughts. She turns to look at her and there’s that ever present smile. “Why don’t you give me a tour?”

Penelope feels lost again, confused and it must show on her face because Jo squeezes her shoulder and gives her a reassuring smile. “Humor me.”

So Penelope does, reaching in the far recesses of her mind for her first tour, where she met Josie and Lizzie Saltzman for the very first time. At the entrance, she talks Jo through the spiel that she’s heard Mrs. Salvatore use on parents, a spiel her own parents never got because she’d been the only survivor in that fire. She’s so wrapped up in her memories that it almost feels like they’re playing out in front of her. And with a jolt, apparently Jo can see it too.

.

_There are two girls—a blonde and a brunette— standing by Mrs. Salvatore, probably around her age. They’re dressed in uniforms, tacky plaid skirts and white blouses, and they look too prim and proper. Penelope has to resist the urge to scoff and roll her eyes. She’s also dressed in the same uniform, having arrived with practically nothing, and it slowly feels like she’s suffocating in it._

_“You must be the new student. I’m Lizzie Saltzman,” the blonde steps forward and extends her hand, which Penelope takes suspiciously. “And this is my twin sister Josie.” _

_Josie smiles and reaches to shake her hand and there’s a quick spark of magic, this exhilarating rush that runs through her and an overwhelming feeling of euphoria washes over. Josie gasps and retracts her hand, already mumbling apologies and explanations and it’s sweet and adorable. Penelope has never met someone like her before. She makes a joke, a pun really, and shoots a finger gun. Josie laughs in surprise, light and warm, her eyes brightening and her smile so kind that Penelope wants to hear that sound forever._

.

Jo doesn’t comment on the scene but there’s a small smile on her lips, it’s not smug or anything really, so Penelope lets it go and simply walks through the memory. The air swirls of magic around her and Jo follows.

They pass through the students walking to their classes, all of which Penelope points out, and tune out the incessant gossip and chatter. Penelope thinks of casting a silence spell but maybe Jo wouldn’t appreciate her more abrasive self. Ms. Featherwood’s classroom door is open and the scent of sweet vanilla wafts through the room as she walks students through a basic healing ritual. Without a glance inside, Penelope knows exactly what’s happening, and instead she picks up the pace towards the student dorms.

“These are the witches’ dorms,” Penelope gestures as they walk past a few rooms, “All the species are separated, for safety according to Dr. Saltzman. Normally I’d bitch about segregation but it’s really convenient for full moons.”

They pass by the twins’ dorms and she points them out but Jo doesn’t make a move to enter so she continues. As they near her dorm, confusion settles in her mind when she sees the undecorated door. She guesses another student occupies it now or it’s been empty, after all, a new school year has started since she was last at Salvatore, but when the door opens and out stumbles Josie, a wave of heartbreak overcomes her and something inside cracks.

“You said this was your room,” Jo says, there is no confusion in her voice at all, because of course. Of course, every mother knows. Apparently even the ones that were once raised from the dead. But there’s no teasing or anger or anything behind her voice and Penelope doesn’t really know how to react.

“Yeah,” Her voice cracks a little and she clears her throat. “Was. Josie’s probably moving everything out. Someone has to.” She refuses to look at Jo, doesn’t want to see pity in her eyes, and they move down towards the stairs. Jo descends first and stops at the middle of the steps, surveying the busy mess hall, filled with students.

Penelope follows behind her when she moves again, this time, walking towards Dr. Saltzman’s office. The doors are sealed but as they near it they fly open and everything changes. Memories of things she hasn’t seen before, things she’d heard, and things she never knew play out around them and with each memory is Josie’s face.

“You did a selfless thing for both of my daughters.” Jo says. “Do you remember it—what happened?”

“Remember what? I can barely remember—” Everything suddenly comes to a stop and it’s all slowly piecing together. “You’ve been watching over them.” The disbelief in her own voice, the realization of it all, Penelope wants to slap herself for not noticing. For not feeling outside of her magic. There is nothing around her. It’s all a dream, nothing but a deadly dream.

When she reaches for her magic once more, to summon a fireball or a boundary spell or a shield—anything—nothing comes through and that disconnect, that disconnect only comes through death. It’s something she felt when her grandmother died, the head of their coven burnt alive by hellfire. All that power had passed down to her, the heiress to their coven. And now her she stood, a leader without followers.

Her memories and thoughts swirling take shape around them. The lights begin to flicker and the glass windows shatter and it’s all too much. Penelope tries to rationalize it and she welcomes Jo’s hand on her shoulder. She’s explaining things. There was an accident.

“—yes, their magic was out of control and—” Lighting flashes outside and the booming thunder following it shakes the building. Penelope closes her eyes, wills the tears to go away, but she sobs harder. Books topple over and hit the ground and others stay suspended in the air. She hears Jo speaking, something about time, and then she’s trying to choke the words out, trying to breathe even, but then there’s this aching pain in her chest. And it all suddenly makes sense again.

“I’m dead, aren’t I?” She whispers and everything just stops. The books are hovering in the air, the lamp in the nearby corner is seconds from exploding, and that tingle of magic is buzzing at the tips of her fingers. Jo’s hands are still on her shoulder, but there are tears in her eyes too. There’s a haunted look in her eye, so much regret and so much sorrow.

Before she can say anything, everything changes again and Penelope’s staring at herself on the ground. Josie’s sobbing. Her tears are angry and desperate and she furiously wipes them away. Her arms are locked doing chest compressions over and over and over and over again.

Lizzie is slumped on the other side of the room, there’s blood pooling around her, and Hope is cradling her head in her lap. She’s offering her wrist and then there’s blood on Lizzie’s lips and tears running down Hope’s cheeks. Penelope turns to Jo, speechless, as she takes in the scene around her. Josie doesn’t feel like magic anymore. Her own magic doesn’t seek that familiar euphoria and she finally realizes the desperation in Josie’s voice.

“No, no, no, hold on for me, please,” Josie begs as she continues chest compressions. “Please, don't leave me. I’ll fix this, okay.” Her hands are everywhere, stroking her cheeks, reaching for her hand, and back again to cradle her head. Her body lays still on the floor, abnormally still, but that doesn't stop Josie from continuing.

“Come back, I still need you.” And then her lips are on Penelope’s, breathing for her. Josie starts compressions again and there are tears in her eyes.

“I just got you back, Pen,” She’s rambling again, in shock, “Please don’t leave me. Please. Please. I never said it back. Please, wake up.” 

Penelope stands and watches as Josie’s world falls apart. She’s so close, but she’s miles away. Her heart breaks as Josie keeps up the compressions, keeps breathing for her, when she’s been gone for so long. Jo’s hand on her shoulder pulls her back and anchors her, grounds her to the reality that she died saving Josie’s life.

* * *

Their flight left early in the morning. Belgium was quiet and after running around Europe for two years, it was a welcomed change of pace. Penelope, with her family’s inheritance, had splurged and upgraded them to first class flights, ignoring Caroline’s ‘we have a budget for this’ speech.

“You know, I could've compelled the flight attendants,” Caroline gives her a pointed look and Penelope raises her glass of champagne towards her.

“And where’s the fun in that?” She smirks when Caroline rolls her eyes and looks away, opening her journal to write. Penelope focuses on her drink, her gaze directed out the window. The sky is a canvas of different colors—orange, purple, and pink—and a part of her wonders if this is all a good idea. If returning with a non answer is worth it.

She wants to see Josie’s face again, wants to see that smile one more time. But at the same time, she doesn’t want to cause hurt and heartbreak and misery. Not again. Not after everything. Caroline takes this moment to toss a pen at her and Penelope doesn’t hesitate to suspend it midair, arching a question brow at her.

“Ever heard of a little heads up?” Penelope plucks the pen from the air, recognizing it as the very same one she’d given Caroline years ago during Christmas. Of course, there’s probably no magic left in it.

“And where’s the fun in that?” Caroline fires back and Penelope smirks at the weird finger gun she tries to fire. There’s an undercurrent of worry from both of them and they’re leaving the important things unsaid and in the air. For once, Penelope is grateful that Caroline is such a mom that she can sense these kind of things.

Twirling the pen in hand, her thoughts wander back to Josie, and on a whim, she imbues the pen with magic and pulls out her journal. And she writes. Two years worth of adventures and emotions, all of it spent wishing Josie was by her side.

.

There’s a jeep parked on the tarmac and as they finally descend the stairs—this time, Caroline actually compelled the pilot for extra perks—Penelope recognizes Dr. Saltzman standing by the driver’s side. They quickly gather their luggage from the airport staff before making their way to the branded car.

“I’m gonna miss driving your benz,” Caroline comments as they pack their luggage away.

“Don’t worry, I’m having it shipped here in a week.” She answers, a smirk on her face at Caroline’s delightedly shocked expression. Dr. Saltzman gives her a slightly awkward pat on the shoulder and a gruff nod before they all get in the car.

They don’t talk at all about the merge. Or really anything supernatural related. Instead, Caroline fills the air with commentary on the cuisine and the culture and the sights all across Europe. The way she talks about it, it sounds like a dream. Something happy and light.

Dr. Saltzman fills her in on mundane things, updates on the little things in life. There’s a new café across the Mystic Grill, a few familiar faces just moved back into town, and the Summer Moon Festival is coming soon. The absence of supernatural makes Mystic Falls sound so powerless. She can hear the seasons pass by as he talks about the townies. Penelope keeps to herself, watches the trees pass by and eventually, they reach the familiar black gates.

There are decorations everywhere, all in school colors, and it’s an overwhelming but welcomed sight. 

“I’ll have your luggage brought in later, but for now, I’d suggest hiding out.” Dr. Saltzman winks at them, a real smile on his face, despite the gravity of their situation. Caroline nods and speeds her and Penelope to his office. Penelope doubles over when she stills, nauseous over vampire travel and glares at Caroline.

“Not everyone can deal with vampire whoosh,” Penelope snaps teasingly. Caroline sits at Dr. Saltzman’s desk and pouts.

“Hey, no calling it whoosh. That’s not as cool.”

Before Penelope can poke fun at her age, there’s a knock on the door and M.G.’s voice filters through the room. “Mrs. Salvatore, there’s a bit of an issue and Dr. Saltzman sent me to grab you. Something about newbie vampires, which, can I just say is kind of a derogatory term?”

Caroline fixes her with a pointed stare and she can already feel that mom lecture coming out because of course— “No ruining my surprise. Please just… stay here and don’t touch anything, okay.”

The doors slam shut with finality and Penelope sighs. So much for fun, she thinks as she thumbs through a book. Alaric's office is boring, filled with spell books she's already read and sure, there are students' files to filter through but they're nothing new or exciting after reading from Alaric's journals. With a huff, she settles into the chair and props her legs up on the desk. In the quiet, Penelope wonders. She wonders if Josie's okay, what she'd say when they reunite.

There are too many words, and despite the time on the plane, detailing every adventure and every lead in the most ideal letter Penelope has ever written, she never actual thought of how to bring up the answer slash non answer that she found. She envisions Josie's face, pouting in anger at the revelation of Penelope's fleeing to Belgium. Hope will probably be there, the leader of their Avenger squad as it is. She'll make a quip here or there, joke about Paris girls, before being the peacemaker when Lizzie eventually interrupts Josie to lash out.

Her chest tightens again at the thought of what this all means, the thought that Josie could live longer.

There's footsteps sounding at the door and she can hear voices outside and without thinking, she waves a hand and cloaks herself. Her heart quickens as the doors swing open and she's face to face with the Saltzman twins.

After two years away, they've grown, that much is noticeable in the way they carry themselves and, of course, their hair. Penelope is tempted to reveal herself, to finally have this confrontation, but she holds herself back as the twins invade Alaric's office. Josie, dressed in a familiar sweater and plaid skirt, walks into the room with determination on her face. Her hair is much longer and swept back, and there's an air of confidence and self assuredness around her. 

“Where did you say you saw it?" Lizzie asks, her hands outstretched as she uses magic to shut the doors. She's dressed down, in simple jeans and a tee, with nothing flashy save for a familiar pendant around her neck. Penelope passively notices how the sealing spell falls on her, effectively trapping them together in the room. She focuses on Josie, who hasn't verbally responded, instead, she heads directly across Penelope, where a bookshelf stands, filled with mostly memorabilia and fancy books on teaching. 

"Here," She motions, and Lizzie comes to stand next to her sister. Penelope stands from her chair, careful to be silent, and follows them, intrigued at their secrecy. "It was in a box, I can't remember what kind of box but I know what it looks like."  


"Maybe he knows?" They share a worried look, before they both focus on task and begin pulling the books off the shelf and shoving aside picture frames. Penelope runs through her head what Alaric could have possibly hidden. She's lost count of the multiple times she'd snuck, before and after the revelations her Christmas gift had brought on, but nothing sticks out in mind of what the girls could possibly be looking for.

A small smile graces her lips at the thought of the twins snooping around for birthday gifts, but she's definitely sure that their birthday gift is safely away from them, dealing with rogue vampires as M.G. had snatched her to do so. The twins continue to shuffle through the shelf when Lizzie shoves aside a frame that sends a heavier book falling off.

They freeze as it topples onto the ground, echoing across the room, as the doors simultaneously rattle. They fly open and Hope Mikaelson marches inside, with panicked eyes and flustered cheeks, before the doors slam back into place.

“Um, so maybe that distraction was not a good distraction," Hope starts, immediately picking up the book and flipping through the pages before placing it back on the bookshelf.

"What happened?" Lizzie reaches over, her hand landing on Hope's shoulder and her eyes concerned. Hope musters a smile that looks more like a grimace before speaking. “Surprise, your mom’s here!"

“What?"

“I knew it!" Josie stands from where she's been kneeling, searching for whatever box it was and leveling her sister and Hope with a determined look. "Lizzie, look for that book with Hope. I'll find the box."

"We have to make it quick," Hope interjects, "Your parents are on their way right now, I'm pretty sure they know but there's no time to debate that now." Josie moves to her father's desk, and Penelope maneuvers herself beside Alaric's drawers, her mind slowly drawing to conclusions.

“We have to do it now, then, or else they might stop us."

“No, Lizzie. Not in dad’s office," Josie argues as she goes through the stacks of paper on her father's desk. "And besides, we don't have enough power to unlock the ascendant alone." The ascendant. A chill settles down Penelope's spine as she realizes suddenly vaguely, what the twins have in mind. 

Her non answer, the one she and Caroline had travelled around for two years to find, has suddenly pieced together as a real solution with the introduction of the ascendant. Penelope remembers reading about it from Alaric's journal, about the power it contains and its history with the Gemini Coven. In the midst of the other girls chatter and arguing, their haste to find the box containing the ascendant and what she can assume is a Mikaelson spell book, Penelope finds herself drifting towards the opposite wall.

“Do we have the time to get to the forest, no, now just-" She hears Lizzie retort, but she slowly tunes them out, closing her eyes as she focuses on her magic. There is magic already in the air, with the sealing spell hanging above them, but in the midst of it, underneath the raw power that is Hope Mikaelson and the aphrodisiac that is Josie, Penelope feels that thrum of energy.

Locked away in a small box, her magic reacts to the temptation this object presents. The power it holds within, and how it can be truly used by someone as capable as a Bennet witch, draws her in. Her eyes flash open in alarm and in front of her is the box, concealed under a cloaking spell on another bookshelf in plain sight. Penelope reaches for it without thinking, and concentrates her powers on drawing out the box from where it is sequestered. A blast of magic pushes past her as she finally touches it, and she turns to see the twins freeze.

"What was that?" Lizzie voices in worry. They both glance toward where Penelope stands, and Josie's eyes widen in surprise. "That box, it's-"

With a flick of her wrist, Penelope drops the cloaking spell on herself and she carefully picks up the box. "Looking for this?"

.

The only thing that feels solid around her body in this moment is Josie's arms around her. Magic arcs from her, and there is something in her veins, something dark and powerful, and Penelope wants to do nothing else but surrender to it. She watches as Josie's hands glow, trying to siphon anything out, and there are tears staining her cheeks and this is not how she wanted that confrontation to end.

Penelope chokes out a laugh, tasting copper on her tongue, as Josie fights through the tears and mutters words of comfort and regret. She reaches a hand to Josie's cheek and with a gentle nudge, Josie's eyes are meeting hers. They fill with tears again as Penelope tries to smile, tries to ignore the pain for one moment, instead to feel Josie around her, and she brings their heads together, willing her body to work one last time.

"It was all worth it," She starts, brushing away the tears from Josie's cheeks. "You were worth it." And Penelope closes her eyes, sinking deeper and deeper into the magic, feels the air in her lungs shrinking, as she slowly plunges into nothing.

When she wakes up, the ground is wet and everything is cold.


End file.
